JP2022542609A - System and method for obstacle detection in luminaire optics - Google Patents

Abstract

The lighting module includes a substrate, an obstacle sensor, a light source provided on the substrate, and an optical assembly overlying the light source. The obstacle sensor includes a transceiver for directing radiation towards the optical assembly and receiving radiation reflected by the optical assembly. Reflected radiation indicates one or more states of the optical assembly. The obstacle sensor may be an infrared (IR) sensor. The illumination module also receives information from the obstacle detection sensor corresponding to radiation reflected by the optical assembly and analyzes the received information to determine the presence of at least a threshold level of an obstacle or deformation on the optical assembly. and a processor having programming instructions for taking remedial action in response to determining the presence of at least a threshold level of obstruction or deformation on the optical assembly.

Description

The advent of lighting fixtures based on light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has provided superior light quality, stable light output, and improvements in sports arenas, stadiums, other entertainment venues, and other commercial and industrial venues. It offers the ability to achieve instant on/off capabilities, intelligent control and adjustability while providing superior energy efficiency. Therefore, users continue to seek improvements in LED lighting devices. The condition or optical quality of a luminaire's optics (eg, lenses, optical covers, reflectors, etc.) can interfere with the operation and light output of the luminaire.

For example, the accumulation of dirt and debris, water, frost, or other factors on the optics of a lighting fixture can lead to undesirable changes in the light output of the lighting fixture, and/or It can cause damage to the luminaire itself. For example, the accumulation of dirt and debris on the optics of a luminaire can lead to an increase in internal temperature of the luminaire that cannot be effectively removed by a heat sink, and the internal temperature of the luminaire may exceed the temperature threshold. damage may occur. Examples of such damage may include yellowing, cracking, deformation, etc. of the optics.

Luminaire equipment maintenance operations can occur before damage occurs (ie, preventive maintenance) or after damage occurs (ie, repair and/or replacement maintenance). Repairing a damaged luminaire is more costly than performing preventative maintenance, and replacing an entire unit is even more costly, such as rendering the luminaire equipment unusable until replacement parts arrive. There will be a cost.

Therefore, it is desirable to find problems (eg, detection of obstructions in the optics of a luminaire) before they cause damage.

This document describes lighting fixtures and methods of manufacturing the same that are directed to solving the above and/or other problems.

In one or more scenarios, an illumination module for an illumination device includes a light source provided on a substrate, an optical assembly positioned over the light source, and directs radiation towards and reflected by the optical assembly. and an obstruction sensor having a transceiver configured to receive emitted radiation. Reflected radiation may indicate one or more conditions of the optical assembly. The light source may be a light emitting diode (LED). Also, the obstacle sensor may be provided on the substrate. Optionally and/or additionally, the obstacle sensor may be an infrared (IR) sensor and the transmitted radiation may be IR radiation.

In some embodiments, the lighting module receives information from the obstacle detection sensor corresponding to radiation reflected by the optical assembly and, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to analyze the received information. , determining the presence of at least a threshold level of obstruction or deformation on the optical assembly; and in response to determining the presence of at least a threshold level of obstruction or deformation on the optical assembly; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having programming instructions that cause restorative actions to be taken. A recovery action may provide an alert to the user. The alert may be instructions for repairing the obstacle or deformation, instructions for controlling power supplied to the at least one light source, or information regarding the obstacle or deformation. Programming instructions for controlling power supplied to the light source may include instructions for reducing power supplied to the light source while maintaining a constant lighting output by the lighting device. Optionally, the restoration action may control the power supplied to the light source. The programming instructions instruct the processor to analyze the received information to determine the rate of state of the optical assembly, the rate of change of state, and determine if the lighting module contains a problem. and to provide an alert to the user, the alert may be designed to include information about the problem. Accumulation of debris, dirt, liquid, moisture, or foreign material inside or outside the optical assembly is a type of obstruction or deformation. Similarly, color change, shape change, breakage, or pit formation are also types of obstructions or deformations. The threshold level may depend on the type of light source, the material of the optical assembly, the material of other components of the lighting module, one or more ambient conditions, the type of use of the lighting module, or the lighting module. It may be determined based on the efficiency of the associated heat sink. Further, the programming instructions cause the processor to analyze the received information to determine the type of obstacle or deformation, the level of the obstacle or deformation, or the location of the obstacle or deformation on the optical assembly. may be designed.

Alternatively, in other embodiments, the obstacle sensor may sense the real-time state of the optical assembly of the lighting device. The obstacle sensor may include a transceiver configured to direct radiation toward the optical assembly and receive radiation reflected by the optical assembly. Reflected radiation may indicate one or more states of the optical assembly.

In one embodiment, the obstacle sensor receives from a processor and, when executed by the processor, information corresponding to radiation reflected by the optical assembly from the obstacle detection sensor; determining the presence of at least a threshold level of obstruction or deformation on the optical assembly; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having programming instructions. A recovery action may provide an alert to the user. The alert may be instructions to repair the obstruction or deformation, instructions to control the power supplied to the lighting device, or information regarding the obstruction or deformation. Programming instructions for controlling power supplied to the lighting device may include instructions for reducing power supplied to the lighting device while maintaining a constant lighting output by the lighting device. Optionally, the restoration action may control the power supplied to the lighting device. The programming instructions instruct the processor to analyze the received information to determine the rate of state of the optical assembly, the rate of change of state to determine whether the lighting device contains a problem, and the user , and the alert may be designed to include information about the problem. Accumulation of debris, dirt, liquid, moisture, or foreign matter inside or outside the optical assembly is a type of obstruction or deformation. Similarly, color change, shape change, breakage, or pitting are also types of obstructions or deformations. The threshold level is determined based on the type of lighting device, the use of the lighting device, the materials of the optical assembly, the materials of other components of the lighting device, one or more ambient conditions, or the efficiency of a heat sink associated with the lighting device. may Further, the programming instructions cause the processor to analyze the received information to determine the type of obstacle or deformation, the level of the obstacle or deformation, or the location of the obstacle or deformation on the optical assembly. may be designed.

1 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary lighting device, according to one embodiment; FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of an exemplary lighting module, according to one embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the lighting module of FIG. 2 along cut line 3-3; FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method for controlling power supplied to a lighting module based on detection of an obstacle, according to one embodiment. 1 illustrates an example of internal hardware that may be used to include or implement various processes and systems as described in this disclosure.

As used in this document, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used in this document have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. As used in this document, the term "including" means "including but not limited to."

As used in this document, terms such as "top" and "bottom", "top" and "bottom", or "front" and "back" can have an absolute orientation. This is not intended, but instead is intended to state the relative positions of the various components with respect to each other. For example, if the light fixture is oriented in a first direction, the first component may be the "top" component and the second component may be the "bottom" component. The relative orientations of the components may be reversed, or the components may lie in the same plane when the orientation of the light fixture containing the components is changed. The claims are intended to cover all orientations of devices containing such components.

In this document, the terms "illumination device", "light fixture", "luminaire" and "illumination device" are used interchangeably to refer to a device containing a source of optical radiation. . Optical radiation sources may include, for example, light emitting diodes (LEDs), light valves, ultraviolet or infrared light sources, or other optical radiation sources. In the embodiments disclosed in this document the optical radiation emitted by the lighting device comprises visible light. The lighting device also includes a housing, one or more electrical components for transmitting power from the power supply to the optical radiation source of the device, and optionally control circuitry.

As used in this document, the terms “controller” and “controller device” refer to an electronic device that includes a processor and is configured to command or manage the operation of one or more other devices; or multiple device system. The controller typically includes a processing device and also includes or to a memory device containing programming instructions configured to cause the processor of the controller to manage the operation of the device or devices to which it is connected. have access to

As used in this document, the terms "memory" and "memory device" each refer to non-transitory devices in which computer readable data, programming instructions, or both are stored. Unless otherwise specified, the terms "memory" and "memory device" may be used to refer to single device embodiments, embodiments in which multiple memory devices jointly or collectively store data or a set of instructions, and It is intended to include one or more individual sectors within such devices.

In this document, the terms "processor," "processing device," and "processing circuitry" refer to hardware components of an electronic device (such as a controller) configured to execute programming instructions. Unless otherwise specified, the singular term “processor” or “processing device” refers to both single processing device embodiments and embodiments in which multiple processing devices perform processing together or collectively. is intended to contain

"electronic device" refers to an electronic device having a processor, a memory device, and a communication interface for communicating with nearby and/or local devices; The memory contains or receives programming instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to perform one or more operations according to the programming instructions. Examples of electronic devices include personal computers, servers, mainframes, virtual machines, containers, gaming systems, televisions, and Internet-connected wearables such as smartphones, wearable virtual reality devices, smartwatches and smart eyewear. ), personal digital assistants, tablet computers, laptop computers, portable electronic devices such as media players, and the like. Electronic devices also include home appliances and other devices capable of communicating in an Internet-of-things arrangement, such as smart thermostats, home controller devices, voice-activated digital home assistants, connected light bulbs and other devices. device. In a client-server configuration, the client device and server are electronic devices, with the server containing instructions and/or data that the client device accesses via one or more communication links in one or more communication networks. In a virtual machine configuration, the server may be an electronic device and each virtual machine or container may also be considered an electronic device. In the following description, client devices, server devices, virtual machines or containers may be referred to simply as "devices" for the sake of brevity. Additional elements that may be included in the electronic device are discussed below with respect to FIG.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of an exemplary lighting device 100 configured to detect obstacles in one or more components. As shown in FIG. 1, lighting device 100 includes housing 102 that houses the various components of the light fixture. Housing 102 includes an opening that contains an optical radiation source, such as any number of lighting modules 110, including LEDs. Any number of lighting modules 110, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or more, sufficient to provide a high brightness LED device, may be positioned within the opening in any configuration. good. In various embodiments, a lighting device may include multiple types of lighting modules. For example, the lighting device comprises a first type lighting module having LEDs configured to selectively emit white light of various color temperatures, and a first type of lighting module configured to selectively emit light of various colors. It may be included with a second type of lighting module having LEDs. Illumination module 110 may be any optical arrangement (interchangeably, “optics” or “optical assembly”) including one or more optical elements, as described in more detail below. assembly)”).

Device housing 102 may also include an optional heat sink 104 for dissipating heat generated by the LEDs of lighting module 110 . The heat sink 104 may be formed of aluminum and/or other metals, plastics or other materials, with any number of fins on the exterior to increase the surface area in contact with the surrounding cooling medium (typically air). may include Thus, heat from the LEDs may be drawn away from the lighting module 110 and dissipated through the fins of the heat sink 104 .

Although the lighting module 110 is positioned on one side of the housing 102, the opposite side of the housing may contain or be connected to a power source (not shown here). The power source may include circuitry, solar panels, or batteries to receive power from external and/or other internal sources. Also, the external housing of the power supply may include fins to help dissipate heat from the power supply. Power wiring may be positioned within the housing 102 to conduct power from the power supply to the LEDs.

Housing 102 may also hold electrical components such as circuitry and wiring and fixture controllers to provide power and/or control signals to lighting module 110 . The fixture controller is configured to selectively control which LEDs within the lighting module 110 should receive power, and to vary the power supplied to the LEDs by methods such as pulse width modulation (PWM). It may be an external or integrated device containing various components of the control circuitry of the lighting device (such as a memory and processor with programming instructions, an application specific integrated circuit or system-on-chip, a communication interface, etc.). Optionally, housing 102 may be attached to a support structure, such as a base or mounting yoke, optionally by one or more connectors.

FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of exemplary lighting module 110 according to one embodiment, and FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of lighting module 110 along cut line 3-3 in FIG.

2 and 3, the lighting device 100 shown in FIG. 1 may have eight lighting modules 110, for example. Each lighting module 110 may include a substrate 112 and one or more LEDs 113 positioned on substrate 112 . In some embodiments, substrate 112 may be a support structure configured to hold LED 113 in place. For example, the substrate 112 can be made of any support material (such as fiberglass, ceramic, silicon, or aluminum) and conductive elements (such as traces, bars, or wires) conduct power, control signals, etc. to the LEDs 113. may be placed thereon or therein for the purpose of Conductive elements may be copper, silver, or other conductive material, and may be applied as conductive inks, wires, traces, or other materials to provide conductive pathways. Optionally, substrate 112 may include a portion that is a circuit board (not shown here). A controller (e.g., a fixture controller) and/or driver circuitry on a circuit board communicates LEDs 113 via one or more conductive elements on substrate 112 , such as conductive lines, traces, bars or wires, located on substrate 112 . may be supplied with a current, a control signal, or the like. In some embodiments, various conductors, electronic devices (eg, sensors), etc. may also be provided on substrate 112 . For example, a set of module level conductors may be connected to power and ground of the lighting module. Each module level conductor may be connected to one of the conductive elements on substrate 112 .

The LEDs 113 may be arranged in one or more rows, matrices, concentric circles, or other arrangement, with corresponding components spaced apart and/or supported in place by supports. For example, the lighting module 110 shown in FIG. 2 may have twelve LEDs 113 positioned on the substrate 112 in two concentric circles. Alternatively, the LEDs 113 in each lighting module 110 are curved such that the LED structure (i.e., the lighting device 100 as a whole) has concentric circles of the LEDs 113 when all the lighting modules 110 are positioned within the openings. may be positioned in the columns of

Lighting module 110 also includes optics configured to control one or more optical properties (e.g., beam angle, direction, stray light, color fringing, etc.) of light emitted by LEDs 113 and lighting module 110 . Assembly 111 may be included. Also, in some embodiments, optical assembly 111 may protect LEDs 113 of lighting module 110 from environmental elements such as moisture, rain, dirt, excessive sunlight, and the like. Optical assembly 111 may include one or more optical elements. Examples of such optical elements may include, but are not limited to, lenses, refractors, reflectors, lens covers, frost beam optics, and the like. The optical elements of optical assembly 111 may be made from materials such as, but not limited to, plastic, resin, silicone, optical silicone, metal, metal-coated plastic, acrylic, and the like. Further, optical assembly 111 may have many shapes, such as circular, square, rectangular, diamond, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 3, the LED 113 may be located below an optical assembly 111 that includes a collimating lens 111(a). Optionally, a transparent optical cover 111(b) may be placed over the collimating lens 111(a) to seal and protect the lens and LED from environmental elements. The optical assembly 111 shown in FIG. 3 is provided as an example and any other optical element or combination thereof may be included in the optical lens assembly 111 of illumination module 110 without departing from the principles of the present disclosure. A good thing will be understood by those skilled in the art. For example, optical assembly 111 of FIG. 3 may include a combination of reflectors and refractors configured to provide collimation or other properties of light received from LED 113 .

Illumination modules 110 may include the same optical assembly 111 . Alternatively, at least one of the optical assemblies 111 may be different.

Each lighting module 110 may also include an obstacle sensor 115 for monitoring the condition or characteristics of optical assembly 111 based on the radiation pattern reflected by optical assembly 111 . For example, obstacle detection sensor 115 may emit and reflected radiation (e.g., infrared (IR) light or near-infrared light) and compare the radiation reflected from the optical assembly 111 to known patterns and sequences. Such conditions or characteristics of optical assembly 111 may indicate the presence of obstructions and/or deformations in optical assembly 111 . In an exemplary embodiment, obstacle sensor 115 analyzes the radiation reflected by optical assembly 111 to detect elements or objects (e.g., dirt, debris, water, fog, bird's eye, etc.) on optical assembly 111 . Obstacles due to the presence of droppings, frost, or other objects) and/or the formation of deformations (eg, cracks, pits, shape changes) may be detected.

As described above, monitoring the condition or properties of the optical assemblies 111 or changes in the optical assemblies 111 is important to maintain the desired light output from each lighting module 110 and the health of the lighting device 110 as a whole. . The state or change of optical assembly 111 may be monitored by analyzing the radiation reflected from optical assembly 111 and comparing it to known patterns and sequences. Specifically, obstructions and/or deformations on the inner and/or outer surfaces of the optical assembly 111 may result in changes in the known pattern or sequence of reflected radiation obtained from the unobstructed optical assembly, and/or A pattern or sequence corresponding to the type of obstacle may be provided. Examples of obstructions or deformations on the inner surface of the optical assembly 111 include, but are not limited to, condensation due to moist air near the lighting module 110, accumulation of dust particles (e.g., due to overheating), ) Discoloration, warping, etc. of the optical elements may be included. Examples of obstructions or deformations on the outer surface of the optical assembly 111 include, but are not limited to, accumulation of dust, dirt, or grime, application of paint or stickers due to vandalism, Warping due to overheating, discoloration of optical elements (ie, yellowing of polycarbonate materials), cracking due to accidental impact from sports equipment, pitting, etc. may be included. As described above, the presence of obstructions and/or deformations on the optical assembly 111 can lead to changes in the output light distribution from the lighting module 110 and/or to excessive heating inside the lighting module 110, thus resulting in Damage to one or more components (eg, LED 113 and circuitry on substrate 112) may be caused.

In some embodiments, the reflected radiation pattern may be determined, for example, by the presence of obstacles and/or deformations on optical assembly 111, the type of obstacles and/or deformations (dirt, water, warp, etc.), the degree of obstacles and/or deformations, It may provide information regarding the condition or characteristics of the optical assembly 111, such as extent (eg, dirt, amount of moisture, degree of warpage, amount of discoloration, size of cracks, etc.), location of obstructions and/or deformations, and the like. For example, the obstacle sensor 115 compares the received reflected radiation pattern to known patterns corresponding to the type of obstacle and/or deformation, degree of obstacle and/or deformation, location of the obstacle and/or deformation, and the like. You may

Obstacle sensor 115 may include a transceiver assembly (not shown) to transmit radiation (eg, IR radiation) to optical assembly 111 and to at least one optical element of optical assembly 111 for receiving reflected radiation. line-of-sight. Obstacle sensor 115 may also include a processor (not shown) configured to analyze the reflected radiation pattern to provide information regarding the state or characteristics of optical assembly 111 . Alternatively and/or additionally, a processor may not be included in the obstacle sensor 115 and an external processor (eg, a processor of the lighting device 100) may communicate with the obstacle sensor via a communication link for analysis. 115 may receive data. Obstacle sensor 115 may also be connected (eg, via traces or conductors) to power and/or control circuit(s) of lighting module 110 to provide power and/or data communication to obstacle sensor 115 . may be Exemplary obstacle sensors 115 may include IR sensors.

In some embodiments, the obstacle sensor 115 enables radiation emitted by the obstacle sensor to be at least partially reflected by the optical elements of the optical assembly 111 and the reflected radiation to be received by the obstacle sensor 115. It may be provided on the substrate 112 at a location (ie, within the line of sight of the optical element). The position of the obstacle sensor 115 on the substrate 112 is determined based on the field of view of the obstacle sensor 115 and/or the distance to the optical assembly 111 to be monitored and the optical assembly to be monitored by the obstacle sensor. may be For example, obstacle sensor 115 may be positioned centrally on substrate 112 and/or the state of the portion of optical assembly 111 that is within the "field of view" of obstacle sensor 115, as shown in FIG. may be positioned at a distance from the center so that the can be monitored. The positions shown in FIG. 2 are provided by way of example only, and not by way of limitation, to the view of the obstruction sensor 115, the view of one or more components within the lighting module 110 that may block the view. It may be changed based on arrangement or the like. Specifically, placement of the obstacle sensor 115 at other locations within the lighting module 110 is within the scope of this disclosure. In some embodiments, the obstacle sensor 115 may have dimensions that allow the obstacle sensor 115 to be provided on the substrate 112 of the lighting module 110 (eg, a surface area of approximately 1-5 mm ² and a negligible thickness). good. In some embodiments, the field of view of the obstacle sensor may be generally circular, and the size of the obstacle sensor 115 may be such that it can be considered a point source/detector. The diameter of the circular field of view may increase with distance from the source so as to define a cone whose apex is centered on the obstacle sensor 115 . The conditions monitored by the obstacle sensor may correspond to an average of the conditions of all objects within the field of view of the obstacle sensor 115 . Exemplary cone-shaped fields of view for obstacle sensors 115 of the present disclosure are from about 10° to about 90°, from about 15° to about 75°, from about 25° to about 65°, or from about 35° to about 65°. ° may be

Although this disclosure states that the obstacle sensor 115 is provided on the substrate 112 of the lighting module 110, the disclosure is not so limited. For example, obstacle sensor 115 may be provided on a different support structure than substrate 112 to monitor the condition of optical assembly 111 .

In some embodiments, lighting module 110 may include one or more obstacle sensors 115 . Optionally, the lighting modules 110 may not include an obstacle sensor 115 and may be located outside the lighting modules 110 (e.g. included in another lighting module and/or within these lighting modules of the lighting device 100). An obstacle sensor 115 (within an area shared by the lighting module 110) may be configured to monitor a property or condition of the optical assembly 111 of the lighting module 110 in question. Similarly, the obstacle sensors 115 may be evenly spaced or randomly positioned among these lighting modules 110 of the lighting device 100 .

Some minor obstructions, for example, minor dust build-up can cause an increase in internal temperature (i.e., overheating) of the lighting module 110, which in turn further warps the optical assembly 111, causing further overheating, It can cause even greater obstructions, such as causing greater damage by cracking the optical assembly 111 . Minor obstructions, such as dust, dirt, and grime, can be easily wiped off during routine preventive maintenance, while larger obstructions, such as yellowing, warping, cracks, etc. require costly replacement of Thus, the obstacle sensor 115 of the present disclosure may be used for continuous monitoring of the optical assembly 111 of the lighting module 110, causing the processor to provide alerts, prompts, automatic recovery actions (e.g., and/or to provide instructions to prevent and/or reduce the severity of damage to the lighting module 110 . For example, cleaning and/or A prompt or alert may be provided to the user to repair. Alternatively and/or additionally, until dirt and debris (i.e., obstructions and/or deformations) are removed from optical assembly 111 or repaired, the LEDs may be exposed to prevent further damage to lighting module 110 . The power supplied may be controlled (eg switched off or reduced). In one or more embodiments, the threshold is determined by the type of LED, the material of the optical elements of the optical assembly, the material of other components of the lighting module, ambient conditions (e.g., external temperature, pressure, humidity, internal temperature, etc.), It may be determined based on one or more of the type of use of the lighting device (eg, constant use, occasional use, etc.), heat sink efficiency, and the like.

In one or more embodiments, obstacle sensor 115 may be an active infrared (IR) sensor that transmits and receives IR radiation over a 180° hemisphere substantially perpendicular to substrate 112, for example. IR obstruction sensor 115 uses signal processing circuitry included in IR obstruction sensor 115 to convert the reflected radiation into a proportional signal (e.g., current or voltage) indicative of one or more characteristics of optical assembly 111 . (and/or the data may be transmitted to an external processing device for analysis). When an obstruction or deformation occurs, the reflected IR beam collected by IR obstruction sensor 115 changes pattern compared to when optical assembly 111 is free of the obstruction or deformation.

As noted above, the data collected by the obstacle sensor 115 may be processed by a processor included in the obstacle sensor 115 and/or may be processed by an external processor (e.g. module level of the lighting module 110) for analysis. controller and/or fixture controller). Optionally, obstacle sensor 115 may at least partially process the collected data and transmit such processed data to an external processor for further analysis and/or appropriate action. good. The controller and obstacle sensor 115 may communicate with each other using any suitable communication protocol, such as but not limited to I2C. The controller may control the current supplied to the LEDs 113 of the lighting module 110 based on the received data. For example, the controller may throttle power/current supplied to one or more LEDs 113 of the lighting module 110 if the optical assembly 111 is determined to have an obstruction level and/or deformation greater than a threshold. . The controller may, for example, reduce or turn off the current supplied to the LEDs 113, reduce the pulse width modulation (PWM), or any combination thereof. power may be throttled back. In PWM, an oscillating output from the controller repeatedly turns the LED 113 on and off based on applying a pulsed voltage. Each pulse is a constant voltage level and the controller varies the width of each pulse and/or the spacing between each pulse. When the pulse is active, the LED 113 may be turned on, and when the pulse is inactive, the LED 113 may be turned off. If the "on" state duty cycle is 50%, the LED 113 may be on for 50% of the total cycle of the control pulse. The controller may dim the LED 113 by reducing the duty cycle, effectively extending the period between each "on" pulse so that the LED is off more than it is on. Alternatively, the controller may decrease the brightness of LED 113 by decreasing the duty cycle.

In some embodiments, the controller may monitor the received data to determine the rate of change in the state of the optical assembly 111 (i.e., rate of increase of obstruction and/or deformation). . Obstacles and/or increasing rates of deformation of the optical assembly 111 above the threshold may indicate other problems with the lighting module 110 (e.g., leaking seals in the lighting device or module, excessive accumulation of debris, changes in orientation, breakage, etc.). breakage or other types of damage). Based on such determinations, the controller may generate and output an alert for the user containing information regarding the identified problem.

FIG. 4 illustrates and describes a method 400 of monitoring the clarity of the optical assembly 111 on the lighting module 110 and controlling the power supplied to one or more LEDs 113 of the lighting module 110 according to various embodiments. It shows a typical flow chart. Although the method 400 is described for convenience as including a series and/or number of steps without any intention of limiting the present disclosure, the process need not be performed as a series of steps and/or the steps may include The steps need not be performed in the order shown and described with respect to FIG. 4, processes may be integrated and/or one or more steps may be performed together, simultaneously, or steps may be performed in the order disclosed Alternatively, it should be understood that they may be performed in alternating order.

At 402, the controller may receive data regarding the real-time state of the optical assembly from one or more obstacle sensors included in the lighting module. The controller may analyze the received data to determine if a threshold level of obstruction and/or deformation exists in the optical assembly (404). The controller sets thresholds for various parameters such as, but not limited to, ambient conditions, materials of manufacture, type of LED, use of LED, efficiency of heat sink, type of damage to be prevented, etc. (as described above). The containing rule set may be accessed to determine the threshold.

If it is determined that a threshold level of obstruction and/or deformation exists in the optical assembly, the controller performs remedial action (to prevent damage to the lighting device and/or cause repair or cleaning of the optical assembly). (406). For example, the controller alerts the user (e.g., mobile device or via display). Optionally, the controller may provide instructions to the user corresponding to potential corrective actions (eg, clean optical assembly, replace optical assembly, power off, etc.). Alternatively and/or additionally, the controller may itself initiate such remedial actions. For example, the controller may selectively throttle 406 power supplied to one or more LEDs of the lighting module. For example, the controller may throttle the power supplied to one or more LEDs of the lighting module by reducing the current supplied to the LEDs or by reducing the PWM. In some embodiments, the controller may, for example, turn on other LEDs and/or other lighting modules, increase power to other LEDs, increase PWM of other LEDs or lighting modules of lighting devices. Thereby, the power supplied to one or more LEDs may be reduced while maintaining the desired output of the lighting module (and/or lighting device) at a substantially constant level.

Thus, relying on detection of obstacles in the lighting module to control power supplied to multiple light sources can extend the useful life of the lighting module. For example, useful life can be extended by limiting the potential for thermal damage by preventing the temperature from rising above a threshold temperature sufficient to damage the internal components of the lighting module.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of hardware that may be included in any of the electronic devices described above, such as lighting device 100 , obstacle sensor 115 , or a device controller for lighting device 100 . Bus 500 serves as an information highway interconnecting the other illustrated components of the hardware. A bus may be a physical connection between elements of a system, or it may be a wired or wireless communication system in which various elements of a system share data. Processor 505 is the processing device of the system that performs calculations and logic operations necessary to execute programs. Processor 505, alone or in conjunction with one or more other components disclosed in FIG. 5, is an example of a processing device, computing device, or processor, as the terms are used within this document. Processing device 505 may be a physical processing device, a virtual device contained within another processing device, or a container contained within a processing device. If the electronic device is lighting device 100, processor 505 may be a component of a fixture controller, and lighting device 100 may include an optical radiation source (e.g., at least one LED ) and power supply.

Memory device 510 is a hardware element or segment of a hardware element in which programming instructions, data, or both may be stored. Optional display interface 530 may allow information to be displayed on display 535 in audio, visual, graphic or alphanumeric form. Communication with external devices, such as printing devices, may occur using various communication interfaces 540, such as communication ports, antennas, or near-field or short-range transceivers. Communication interface 540 may be communicatively connected to a communication network, such as the Internet or an intranet.

The hardware may also receive data from input devices such as a keyboard or keypad 550 or other input devices 555 such as mice, touch pads, touch screens, remote controls, pointing devices, video input devices and/or microphones. A user input interface 545 may be included to allow for Data may also be received from an image capture device 520, such as a digital camera or video camera. A position sensor 560 and/or a motion sensor 570 may be included to detect the position and motion of the device. Examples of motion sensors 570 include gyroscopes or accelerometers. Examples of position sensor 560 include a GPS sensor device that receives position data from an external Global Positioning System (GPS) network.

The features and functions described above, and alternatives, may be combined into many other systems or applications. Various presently unanticipated or unforeseen alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements can be made by those skilled in the art, each of which is also intended to be covered by the disclosed embodiments.

Claims (12)

A lighting module for a lighting device, the lighting module comprising:
at least one light source provided on the substrate;
an optical assembly positioned over the at least one light source;
An obstacle sensor including a transceiver configured to direct radiation toward said optical assembly and receive radiation reflected by said optical assembly, said reflected radiation being one or more states of said optical assembly. an obstacle sensor that indicates
lighting module. 2. The lighting module of claim 1, wherein the obstacle sensor is an infrared (IR) sensor and the transmitted radiation is IR radiation. The lighting module is
a processor;
When executed by the processor, causes the processor to:
receiving information from an obstacle detection sensor corresponding to radiation reflected by the optical assembly;
analyzing received information to determine the presence of at least a threshold level of obstruction or deformation on the optical assembly; and responsive to determining the presence of at least a threshold level of obstruction or deformation on the optical assembly. to perform recovery actions,
a non-transitory computer readable medium containing programming instructions to cause
2. The lighting module of claim 1, comprising: The recovery action includes providing an alert to the user, the alert comprising:
instructions for repairing said obstruction or said deformation;
instructions for controlling the power supplied to said at least one light source, or information about said obstacles or said deformations;
4. The lighting module of claim 3, comprising at least one of The programming instructions for controlling power supplied to the at least one light source include instructions for reducing power supplied to the at least one light source while maintaining a constant lighting output by the lighting device. 5. A lighting module according to claim 4. 4. The lighting module of Claim 3, wherein said restoration action comprises controlling power supplied to said at least one light source. The lighting module causes the processor to:
analyzing the received information to determine a percentage of the state of the optical assembly;
analyzing a rate of state change to determine if the lighting module contains a problem; and providing an alert to a user, the alert including information about the problem.
4. The lighting module of claim 3, comprising programming instructions configured to cause: The obstruction or deformation may be debris accumulation, dirt accumulation, water accumulation, moisture accumulation, color change, shape change, breakage, foreign matter accumulation, or pitting inside or outside the optical assembly. 4. The lighting module of claim 3, comprising at least one of forming. The threshold level depends on the type of the at least one light source, the material of the optical assembly, the material of other components of the lighting module, one or more ambient conditions, the type of use of the lighting module, or the lighting module. 4. The lighting module of claim 3, determined based on at least one of the efficiency of an associated heat sink. The illumination module instructs the processor to analyze the received information to identify the obstacle or deformation, the type of obstacle or deformation, the level of the obstacle or deformation, or the obstacle or deformation on the optical assembly. 4. The lighting module of claim 3, comprising programming instructions for determining at least one of the positions of . 2. The lighting module of Claim 1, wherein the at least one light source is a light emitting diode. 2. The lighting module of claim 1, wherein the obstacle sensor is provided on the substrate.

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